The Good Son
by Sadistic Shadow
Summary: We all know him as Sesshoumaru, arrogant Overlord of the Western Domain. He's got a heart of ice and takes nothing from nobody. But there are things we don't know, such as why he allowed himself to grow so cold. Hatred runs thicker than blood, you know...
1. Chapter 1

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Disclaimer: InuYasha and all related characters are copyright of Rumiko Takahashi. I merely own the merchandise; I'm sure you can tell the difference. 

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"The Good Son"

by Sadistic Shadow

His smoldering orbs of amber narrowed in fierce concentration. A look of annoyance flashed briefly across his shadowed face as he lost sight of the object of his observations. Reaching over to brush away the silver bangs obstructing his vision, a faint, rustling sound caught his attention.

Glancing down, expression nothing less than irate, he shifted his position atop the tree branch on which he was perched, enabling him to peer intently through his legs in search of the noise that had distracted him. 

Nothing, however, could have prepared him for the sight that met his eyes. For smiling up at him was a slender-bodied young woman, her lithe frame swaying wantonly in the breeze. Her oculars were of a warm mahogany hue and something akin to mischief sparkled within their abyssal depths. 

In one fluid motion, lasting but a moment, his heavy hands clapped down on the thick branch and he swung back and under, ignoring the sharp pain shooting up his arm as his elbow scraped rather unpleasantly against the bark. Landing right in front of her, he inhaled sharply, every trace of emotion vanishing from his being in a single instant.

But, as he stood proud and tall in the lazy, late afternoon sun, he found the hint of a smile tugging at his thinly pressed lips. Her hourglass figure was comfortably garbed in the pleated pant-legs of a red hakama and the slitted sleeves of a white haori, both billowing with every movement. 

Grown hot from the constant barrage of sunbeams filtering down, her obsidian tresses traced her sharp facial contours, a few wispy strands brushing against her high cheekbones. Her carefully managed nails gleamed in the sunlight as she reached out to pluck a leaf from his hair. "Don't you have anything better to do than spy on a humble shrine maiden?"

He snorted, mimicking her head movement, his response quite curt. "And shouldn't you be guarding the Shikon no Tama?" 

She lifted the wrist she had kept concealed; a leather bag dangled from it on a string. "But I am," her smile widened. 

A single, well-trimmed brow arched as he motioned to their surroundings with lavish expenditure. "Isn't that rather...reckless of you?" 

It was her turn to raise a brow; placing a hand on her hip, she leaned back to eye him from beneath her bangs. "Is it?" she challenged. 

For the second time that day, annoyance flickered across his well-kept features. "You know I'm not like the others," he reproved.

"I know," she sighed, taking a step backward, the back of one smooth hand idly brushing up against his. 

Her touch was electrifying. But, ignoring the feelings it stirred, he half-glowered at her. "You knew I'd come?" 

"Of course!" she laughed gaily, invoking the full of his sharp look. "I'm sorry," she murmured, after quieting down. "It's just that...you _always_ come." 

His nose was thrust into the air as he sniffed in mock disdain. "Or so you say,"

"I can _feel_ you," she insisted, with a slight shake of her head. At what she admitted next, however, her cheeks flushed a light pink. "I learned to sense your presence some time ago..."

"Oh?" he almost sounded tense. "And why is that?"

Her blush darkened. "It's like you said...You're not like the others."

His response was immediate, to the point of being brusque. "I see,"

She turned away, to avoid his cold gaze. "I didn't want to kill you...By accident, you know,"

"Thinking I came to rob the jewel?"

She nodded. "Yes, I didn't want to strike out at you, when you posed no threat to its' safety,"

"But how do you know?"

"Excuse me?" for the first time he could ever recall, her eyes narrowed in a suspicion brought on by him.

"I said," he half-growled, reaching out to swipe the small bag, holding it up for her to see. "How do you know...That my indifference wasn't just a ruse? For as you can clearly see...The Shikon no Tama is in _my_ possession now,"

"You're only kidding," she insisted. But, for a single moment, she faltered. "...Aren't you?" 

He stared at her for a moment then snapped, as he tossed it back at her, "Take it. Of course I was just kidding." 

Her face darkened with unspoken hurt. "You don't have to be that way..."

"Heh," it took a moment, but a smirk was soon distinguishable. "I know."

"You jerk!" her injured look shimmered away to reveal a half-irritated, half-amused one, as she reached out to lightly strike his shoulder. 

But his turbulent orbs clouded over and his quick reflexes kicked in. He caught her arm before she could land a blow. His head was ducked low, and his expression was unreadable, so marred was it by the tussled bangs that fell into his line of sight. "Go home, Kanan. I'm sure your husband misses you."

With that, he released her and turned away, melting into the shadowed underbrush; disappearing into the shrubbery from which he had come. And with a sigh, Kanan shook her head and turned away as she too, left, though not before casting one last glance over her shoulder and uttering the young man's name. "Sesshoumaru..." 

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A/N: Gasp, a spry, young and unfrozen Sesshoumaru. Amazing isn't it, the power of a time reversal? Anyway, I really suppose I shouldn't be getting involved with this fic, what with how many others I need to work on, but it just wouldn't stop harassing me until I put it to words. Anyway, for legal purposes, I suppose I should mention that Kanan is copyrighted to me. Don't worry, you'll find out who she is soon enough. I have no doubt that many of you will be very surprised. Oh yes, in the next chapter you will find out just how far back in time this is, to make Sesshoumaru so...open. 

Remember, I thrive off of feedback, so leave me your comments, questions and such...

Please Review! 


	2. Chapter 2

"The Good Son"

By Sadistic Shadow

With a heavy sigh, Sesshoumaru threw himself down on the small cot before the roaring flames. The establishment was undoubtedly small, but it was home away from home.

However, unbeknown to him, a figure lurked in the shadows. Stepping forth into the light, the slim-bodied Tenaka, Sesshoumaru's highly enigmatic sister, spoke in her eerily placid tone. "You were with her, weren't you?" It was more of an accusation than a question.

"Yes." He admitted, with a careless little flip of his hair. Eyeing her warily, he added, "What of it?"

"What of it?" She repeated, obviously in disbelief. "It's disgusting, Sesshoumaru. She's a _human_…And mated to boot!"

"Married." He absently corrected her. "Some human promise to stay true…They haven't mated."

Tenaka openly gaped. "I didn't know you bothered to keep up with their customs. That's quite sad, dearest brother." Her flat look said it all, but she couldn't help but arch a brow and demanded with a reproving little sniff, "And how would you know they haven't given themselves to each other yet?"

"She's a priestess…" He grunted, adding a shrug, as if that explained everything. Upon receiving a blank look, however, he sighed and further elaborated, "A miko must remain…" -- he grappled for the right word -- "…Pure. At least until she is prepared to give up her career."

"You seem awfully confident." She commented.

"Well." He paused, as if it were some great secret. "What can I say? She loves what she does. Besides," He puffed out his chest as he sat up to face her, grinning cheekily, "I think she rather likes me."

Tenaka let loose something sounding suspiciously like a snort, which was soon accompanied by a roll of her eyes. "I'm sure." She said dryly.

"I don't have to take this." Sesshoumaru shot her a reproving glare, letting his words hang like some ultimatum. 

"So leave," She looked pointedly at him. "The door's open. Don't let it hit you in the ass on the way out."

He stared at her in angered shock. "I don't believe I just heard what I did."

"Well you did," She snapped, "So grow up and get over it."

Something akin to a strangled noise escaped his throat, his eyes blazing out at her. "I'll be going now," He informed her, with a look of quiet rage.

"You do that." She near-mocked him, adding a quirky little nod to further fuel the fire.

Not another word was exchanged between the two and suddenly, he was gone, vanished into the cool night. Shaking her head, Tenaka sat where he once lay, losing herself in the glowing embers.

Elsewhere, Sesshoumaru was plowing through the shrubbery, westward-bound. At this point in time, there was only one soul whom he could still confide in: his mother, InuSarai. 

It was just after dawn's break when he found himself approaching familiar territory. The grass was now soaked with the morning dew, making passage through the many forests slightly more vexing. It was not that the young taiyoukai could not handle such a little thing as a few droplets of water, but it made the usual shortcuts quite treacherous. 

The more miles he put between himself and Kanan, the worse he seemed to feel. It was like some kind of sick premonition. Something was going down, and he knew it. But he had come this far and there was no turning back. At least not yet, anyway. There would be time for idle worry later; for now, he just had to concentrate on getting to his parent's den. 

It was not long before he reached the highland of the western domain. Treading carefully across the gully, he approached the edge of the steep cliff which overlooked the valley in which his clan resided. But carnage was to greet his eager eyes, nothing at all like the beauty he had been anticipating. 

Peculiar, bird-like creatures swooped down, clawing out his clansmen's eyes, signaling each attack with a disgustingly delighted cry of war. Giving a startled cry of his own, he watched in horror as his very own mother led the remainder of the clan in one last charge. 

His sensitive nostrils recoiling at the sickening scent of charred flesh, his mind could only scream the same mantra over and over again. _Father, father. Where is father?_

When at last he could take it no longer, his form quivered in rage and he transformed into his true being. Leaping off the cliff, he thought to rush into combat and save those whom he could. But his world became black as one of the bird-like creatures swooped down, sinking its talons into the back of his head. Stumbling forward, he was defeated before he could so much as lift a paw. 

He did not wake for some time. When he did at last, it was at the prompt of a tall, gruff-looking man. Sesshoumaru's head was still spinning and his movement was languid as he reached out in an attempt to grip at the hem of the man's clothing. "Father…"

InuTaisho turned to greet his son with sad eyes. With an anguished moan, Sesshoumaru fell back onto his makeshift bed. He hadn't wept since he was a sickly child, but now the tears seemed to flow from a never-ending source. 

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A/N: This chapter seemed off tome. Like, not the events, but the writing. I'm sorry it's bad. But enjoy the update, at least. Thanks for all the reviews, guys n' gals. They mean a lot. Kanan, Tenaka and InuSarai are all copyright to me. No touchy. 

Megan: *groans* Do you _have_ to call me that?

Melian and Luthien: Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that for me.

Rabid Anime Girl: …Maybe you better not read the rest of this story, then. *sweat drops*

Miko of the Innocent: So you noticed. I loved the dialogue in that chapter. Unfortunately, this chapter in its entirety sucks. 

Please Review!


	3. Chapter 3

"The Good Son"

By Sadistic Shadow

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His return had been ten years in the making. Nearly a decade had passed since the death of his mother. It might have been a century though, what with all that had transpired. It was in himself, however, in which many of these changes had occurred. Sesshoumaru had never exactly been innocent to begin with, but at least back then he had been able to uphold a softer side. Now, he was just brutally cold. Then again, after all he'd learned -- after all he'd lost -- who wouldn't be? 

His father, the great and proud InuTaisho, had been killed. Surprisingly enough, Sesshoumaru did not lament his father's death. To tell the truth, he welcomed the peace of mind it brought with open arms. The peace of mind he had lost upon learning of his father's role in his mother's death. No…Not just his mother's death, but the death of a nation.

InuTaisho, he had discovered, apparently had a thing for humans. Human females, to be more specific. So while his father had been rolling around in the hay somewhere with some human tramp, his mother had been rolling around in the mud with the enemy. While his father cried out in pleasure, his mother cried out in pain. While his father divulged in the sweet spoils of victory, his mother met a pitiful demise. But again, not just his mother…His entire clan.

His blood boiled when he dwelled on the matter, and his burning hot rage tended to scald anyone in the general vicinity. Luckily, he was alone.

InuTaisho's initial betrayal had only been the beginning. Nine months later and he'd had a new child to look after. A bouncing, baby hanyou…By name of InuYasha. While he bore a seething hatred for his father and his mistress, he could not bring himself to harbor ill will against InuYasha. The child was so sheltered and innocent…So unlike himself.

So he put up a front, if not for the child and his harlot of a mother, then for himself. It had been kind of nice, for awhile. The slut didn't treat him like the unwanted child he was, at least not unto his face. His father seemed less belligerent and rowdy and even seemed to emanate a calmer aura. InuYasha…Had been, well, InuYasha. The boy and he got along famously, for some reason or another.

Sunday, bloody Sunday. He had chosen to return on the tenth anniversary of his mother's death. It was in the middle of a crisp, autumn morning that he had appeared about a mile from the ningen village he had once resided in. It was near that river, that very river by which they had met, that he and Kanan reunited. As friends, and nothing more. She was heavy with child, and from the looks of it, due any minute.

They had embraced, awkwardly, and sat down to speak, while she busied herself with the laundry. There that morning, the two of them skirted many issues, including their feelings for one another. What had come to pass had come to pass, and there was no changing things. Kanan was as happy as ever, if a little melancholy.

He resumed living in the dingy half-shack not a quarter mile from the village. He carried on, mostly as a recluse, though he could be seen heading into town every week or so, with the intent of visiting his beloved miko. Her husband welcomed him into his home with little to no suspicion, much as he had done ten years prior, and all was well. As well as things could be under such circumstances, anyway.

Not even four weeks later and already, it was time. He had gone for a visit that early evening, only to discover that perhaps he should have chosen a better time. He had tried to leave but was, surprisingly enough, held back by her husband. "You're friends," He had told him. "Aren't you? She'll want you to be here." And that was the end of that.

He paced and prowled around the confines of their modest home many, many times. It was not until just before sunrise that he heard the piercing cries of a newborn. Not fifteen minutes later, he was summoned. Smirking at the collapsed form of her husband as he glided across the threshold, all the air vanished from his lungs as he caught first sight of Kanan clutching at her child.

Upon her urging, he tentatively reached out a clawed hand and gently traced a pattern across the child's exposed stomach. All the ice that had been surrounding him all these years melted in an instant. He had never seen something more beautiful, and he made sure to tell her this.

Kanan chuckled softly, gazing tenderly up at him with rosy cheeks. "Thank you…" She whispered, taking the compliment in stride.

He was clearly awed by the whole situation. The first time he had been allowed to lay eyes on InuYasha had been several months after his birth. It was almost as if his father had been afraid to find out his reaction to his infidelity. In all realities, this was very wise, but Sesshoumaru knew he could not hurt his own flesh and blood. InuYasha had been pudgy at the time; pudgy and always on the go. This child, however, was extraordinarily small, and appeared very delicate. Any snide remark he had about the quality of this baby disappeared, for the moment it opened its eyes, he found himself drowning in a hazy pool of chocolate, so akin to their mother's.

"Beautiful," He breathed, again, and once more, the child's mother expressed her gratitude for such compliments. Standing there, beside the woman he could never hold, never express his affection for, and he knew…He knew he had a second chance. At life, if not at love.

He turned his eyes to Kanan in silent question. "Kikyou," Came the answer he longed to hear. "Kikyou, for she is as sweet as a bellflower."

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A/N: **Damn. I hate this chapter. Hatehatehatehatehate it. It's so cheesy and rushed and blah. I'm so sorry. Consider this fic now shamed. I am still cringing from the poor quality, even a day after I wrote this. So help me should I ever produce literature this horrid again. But it's an update. Long over-due and crappy, but an update nonetheless. Be gentle with your flames.

Please Review!


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